Video. Watch: AI-powered robot teaches German students
Unlike standard teaching aids, Captcha uses advanced AI to interact dynamically with the class, answering questions and responding to discussions in real-time. Students actively engaged with the robot, exploring the potential and challenges of AI.
… More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
G-Dragon concert ticket bots and scalpers kept at bay
G Dragon also announced a world tour to go along with his new album. — Handout PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia's concerts and events continue to generate substantial profits, they are increasingly attracting the attention of unscrupulous parties seeking to exploit the booming industry. During South Korean singer G-Dragon (pic)'s three-day concert ticket sale, over 600 million attempts, suspected to be from ticket bots and scalpers, were thwarted by the event organiser. In response to the huge traffic and malicious attempts to breach its ticketing platforms, Star Planet managing director Datuk Alan Foo said they implemented advanced bot detection and verification measures, including Captcha, to safeguard the integrity of the sales process. 'Our ticketing platform's global security and traffic management system – including Cloudflare and Queue-it – successfully blocked over 600 million malicious or suspicious requests,' he said. Foo acknowledged that due to the overwhelming demand of over 4.5 million users entering the virtual waiting room, some scalpers managed to get through the security measures put in place. For this, he said Star Planet had identified transactions associated with unauthorised resale and invalidated those tickets. 'We strongly advise fans not to purchase tickets from unofficial sources to avoid the risk of cancellation and disappointment,' Foo added. He also confirmed that there may be another round of ticket sales once the unauthorised tickets were identified and cancelled by the organiser. G-Dragon, whose real name is Kwon Ji-yong and a member of South Korean idol group BigBang, is widely known as the King of K-Pop. The singer's entertainment agency Galaxy Corporation said in a statement that fraudulent tickets or tickets resold at a price exceeding the official sale price will be invalidated. Checks on social media found that scalpers were selling his concert tickets in Kuala Lumpur for more than RM20,000. For the record, the most expensive ticket for the artiste's tour in Malaysia, scheduled next month, is about RM1,300, which includes exclusive perks. This prompted backlash from fans, calling out the organiser for allegedly failing to curb the problem, and demanding accountability and transparency. One of them was Siti Aishah Hashim, 29, who was devastated after she could not buy pre-sale tickets despite joining his fan club. She found them resold at inflated prices online by scalpers. Another fan Shahril Nazdi, 30, urged the organiser to take action against those found securing the tickets through illegal channels. Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations chief executive officer Saravanan Thambirajah said a law to oversee the scalping issue should be expedited, referring to a proposal in 2023 when a similar problem occurred during British rock band Coldplay's concert ticket sales. 'Countries like the United Kingdom and Singapore have already enacted targeted legislation to deal with this issue effectively. Malaysia, too, must move in this direction,' he said. In 2023, the government, through the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry and the Communications Ministry, said it would study the legal provisions to prevent scalping. Pertubuhan Mesra Pengguna vice-president Azlin Othman advised consumers to always go for recognised channels when buying concert tickets. She also urged the government to expedite the enactment of a law to curb scalping and further protect consumers. Meanwhile, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry said it is actively looking into specific legislation to curb the issue and is committed to taking into account the interests of stakeholders. 'This is to ensure that enforcement could be done effectively and this approach is important before a legal framework is finalised,' it said in a statement to The Star. The ministry advised consumers to lodge complaints against scalpers through its official channels.
AsiaOne
27-05-2025
- AsiaOne
Too many bots, too few instructors: Why the long wait for driving lessons in Singapore, Singapore News
SINGAPORE — Joylene Chen enrolled at the ComfortDelGro Driving Centre (CDC) in November 2024, thinking she would get a licence to drive an automatic car within six months. Seven months later, the 25-year-old is still far from her goal, but not for the lack of trying. The finance executive has managed to book only three practical lessons so far — after paying $30 to secure them using a Telegram bot, which is programmed to track available slots in the CDC's booking system. She is not alone. Many other students have also had to resort to using automated bots, or paying someone on local online marketplace Carousell, to snag these lessons. A private driving instructor who declined to be named said that out of desperation, his students sometimes pay others on Carousell $30 to $50 per slot. "This is a very unhealthy practice," he told The Straits Times. The three driving schools here have long acknowledged the issue, and have suspended for up to three months accounts found to have used bots and scripts. CDC said it suspended 214 errant accounts in 2024. The Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC) said it has also suspended accounts, but declined to reveal more data. Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) suspended 6,000 accounts in 2024, and another 6,500 between 2022 and 2023. But despite the centres' efforts, the bots are still here, there and everywhere. A 20-year-old student told ST that he hired an overseas programmer to build a bot not just to book his own slots, but also to offer it to others at a price. "I charge between $50 and $70, depending on how specific my customers' requests are," he said, adding that he does not plan to stop this "service", which allows him to make a four-figure sum a month. According to lawyers whom ST spoke to, there are currently no legal penalties for bot builders and users. Hence, the best bet for driving centres is to deter them with advanced security features. For instance, CDC said it continues to explore potential measures, including multi-factor authentication and Singpass login. Tighter bot analysis criteria, such as longer IP address-blocking durations, will also be implemented to reduce bot activity. The CDC spokesperson added that the centre plans to use advanced machine-learning algorithms to detect suspicious activity and to increase its frequency of system audits. "These algorithms will help identify patterns indicative of system abuse, enabling proactive measures to mitigate potential impact." Aaron Ang, chief information security officer of Singapore-based IT services company Wissen International, said the schools can pair Captcha with other methods, such as limiting the number of requests a computer can make within a short time, or collect information about a user's web browser. They can also use commercial services such as TrustDecision and DataDome that help detect bots, he added. Instructor shortage Beyond the bot issue, the driving schools also face a shortage of instructors, which they said has contributed to the long wait for lessons. A BBDC spokesman said the school struggled to hire instructors after the Covid-19 pandemic. Many potential applicants may have preferred to become private-hire drivers or food delivery riders as these roles offer more flexible work arrangements, he said. It is also hard to attract talent as the starting salary for driving instructors is "below expectations", said an SSDC instructor who declined to be named. "Even a bus driver earns more than a driving instructor," he said. Checks by ST on job portals show that a driving instructor at any of the three schools is paid between $2,070 and $4,500 a month. A local SBS Transit bus captain also earns up to $4,500 a month, but can expect a sign-on bonus with a training incentive of up to $25,000. The driving schools said they have stepped up recruitment efforts, with CDC upping its number of instructors by 10 per cent between 2023 and 2024. In the same period, it also beefed up its other training resources by adding four additional car simulators and 20 cars to its fleet. "These enhancements have allowed us to offer over 700 additional weekly learning sessions," its spokesperson said, adding that the school plans to further expand its fleet in 2025. CDC declined to comment on the number of lessons they were able to offer before the enhancements. Besides school instructors, the number of private instructors has also been dwindling. The Traffic Police (TP) have stopped issuing new private driving instructor licences since 1987 as part of the country's aim to professionalise driver education. As at March 14, there are 268 licensed private driving instructors in Singapore, and the number is set to decrease as they retire or cease their services. Possible solutions Transport specialist Terence Fan from Singapore Management University suggested that the authorities consider reinstating the issuing of private driving instructor licences to new instructors. "This is so that students can be provided with more choices to engage a private instructor if they find it difficult to book their practical lessons at the driving schools," said Assistant Professor Fan, who added that driving remains a necessity if Singaporeans are in countries that do not prioritise public transportation. However, instead of reinstating the issuing of private driving instructor licences, TP told ST that they now allow driving schools to employ foreign driving instructors for all licence classes to cope with the instructor shortage, as long as they have the necessary qualifications. These qualifications include owning a driving licence of the same licence class they intend to teach, undergoing a driving instructor course, and passing the theory and practical instructor tests. As at May, the three driving schools have yet to employ foreigners as those who have applied did not meet the minimum requirements. TP also aims to improve the schools' processes. For example, they worked with CDC to implement an advanced training system that uses cameras and sensors to analyse learners' driving performance in order to enhance the quality of driving instruction and improve their chances of passing a driving test. They have also worked with the driving schools to extend the working hours of driving instructors, taking into consideration each school's operational needs and instructors' preferences. Test delays Besides the months-long wait for practical lessons, students also have to wait for another one to two months before taking their Class 3 driving tests. According to TP's website, students who enrol at the schools have to wait for a month on average, while private candidates can expect a close to two-month wait. To address the long waiting time for practical tests, TP said they have increased the number of Class 3 practical test slots. According to TP's website, marginal improvements could be seen in the waiting times for school and private learners between December 2024 and February 2025. TP said they are also working closely with driving schools to increase test slots by optimising their utilisation of the circuit and the availability of testers. New driving school Earlier in May, the police announced plans to build a new multi-storey driving school in Choa Chu Kang to replace the existing BBDC, which is expected to make way for new housing projects. BBDC currently sits on a 30,000 sq m plot. If plans for the site are approved, this will be Singapore's second multi-storey driving school, after SSDC opened the first in Woodlands in 2010. While details about the new centre have not been released yet, demand for driving lessons remains high, even if the motivation to do so differs from person to person. For Chen, when she eventually gets her licence, she hopes to be able to run errands and chauffeur her dogs around for their activities. "I can't be a passenger princess forever," she added. [[nid:718406]] This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
New Paper
27-05-2025
- New Paper
Too many bots, too few instructors: Why the long wait for driving lessons in Singapore
Ms Joylene Chen enrolled at the ComfortDelGro Driving Centre (CDC) in November 2024, thinking she would get a licence to drive an automatic car within six months. Seven months later, the 25-year-old is still far from her goal, but not for the lack of trying. The finance executive has managed to book only three practical lessons so far - after paying $30 to secure them using a Telegram bot, which is programmed to track available slots in the CDC's booking system. She is not alone. Many other students have also had to resort to using automated bots, or paying someone on local online marketplace Carousell, to snag these lessons. A private driving instructor who declined to be named said that out of desperation, his students sometimes pay others on Carousell $30 to $50 per slot. "This is a very unhealthy practice," he told The Straits Times. The three driving schools here have long acknowledged the issue, and have suspended for up to three months accounts found to have used bots and scripts. CDC said it suspended 214 errant accounts in 2024. The Singapore Safety Driving Centre (SSDC) said it has also suspended accounts, but declined to reveal more data. Bukit Batok Driving Centre (BBDC) suspended 6,000 accounts in 2024, and another 6,500 between 2022 and 2023. But despite the centres' efforts, the bots are still here, there and everywhere. A 20-year-old student told ST that he hired an overseas programmer to build a bot not just to book his own slots, but also to offer it to others at a price. "I charge between $50 and $70, depending on how specific my customers' requests are," he said, adding that he does not plan to stop this "service", which allows him to make a four-figure sum a month. According to lawyers whom ST spoke to, there are currently no legal penalties for bot builders and users. Hence, the best bet for driving centres is to deter them with advanced security features. For instance, CDC said it continues to explore potential measures, including multi-factor authentication and Singpass login. Tighter bot analysis criteria, such as longer IP address-blocking durations, will also be implemented to reduce bot activity. The CDC spokesperson added that the centre plans to use advanced machine-learning algorithms to detect suspicious activity and to increase its frequency of system audits. "These algorithms will help identify patterns indicative of system abuse, enabling proactive measures to mitigate potential impact." Mr Aaron Ang, chief information security officer of Singapore-based IT services company Wissen International, said the schools can pair Captcha with other methods, such as limiting the number of requests a computer can make within a short time, or collect information about a user's web browser. They can also use commercial services such as TrustDecision and DataDome that help detect bots, he added. Instructor shortage Beyond the bot issue, the driving schools also face a shortage of instructors, which they said has contributed to the long wait for lessons. A BBDC spokesman said the school struggled to hire instructors after the Covid-19 pandemic. Many potential applicants may have preferred to become private-hire drivers or food delivery riders as these roles offer more flexible work arrangements, he said. It is also hard to attract talent as the starting salary for driving instructors is "below expectations", said an SSDC instructor who declined to be named. "Even a bus driver earns more than a driving instructor," he said. Checks by ST on job portals show that a driving instructor at any of the three schools is paid between $2,070 and $4,500 a month. A local SBS Transit bus captain also earns up to $4,500 a month, but can expect a sign-on bonus with a training incentive of up to $25,000. The driving schools said they have stepped up recruitment efforts, with CDC upping its number of instructors by 10 per cent between 2023 and 2024. In the same period, it also beefed up its other training resources by adding four additional car simulators and 20 cars to its fleet. ComfortDelGro Driving Centre added four additional car simulators and 20 cars to its fleet to beef up training resources. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO "These enhancements have allowed us to offer over 700 additional weekly learning sessions," its spokesperson said, adding that the school plans to further expand its fleet in 2025. CDC declined to comment on the number of lessons they were able to offer before the enhancements. Besides school instructors, the number of private instructors has also been dwindling. The Traffic Police (TP) have stopped issuing new private driving instructor licences since 1987 as part of the country's aim to professionalise driver education. As at March 14, there are 268 licensed private driving instructors in Singapore, and the number is set to decrease as they retire or cease their services. Possible solutions Transport specialist Terence Fan from Singapore Management University suggested that the authorities consider reinstating the issuing of private driving instructor licences to new instructors. "This is so that students can be provided with more choices to engage a private instructor if they find it difficult to book their practical lessons at the driving schools," said Assistant Professor Fan, who added that driving remains a necessity if Singaporeans are in countries that do not prioritise public transportation. However, instead of reinstating the issuing of private driving instructor licences, TP told ST that they now allow driving schools to employ foreign driving instructors for all licence classes to cope with the instructor shortage, as long as they have the necessary qualifications. These qualifications include owning a driving licence of the same licence class they intend to teach, undergoing a driving instructor course, and passing the theory and practical instructor tests. As at May, the three driving schools have yet to employ foreigners as those who have applied did not meet the minimum requirements. TP also aims to improve the schools' processes. For example, they worked with CDC to implement an advanced training system that uses cameras and sensors to analyse learners' driving performance in order to enhance the quality of driving instruction and improve their chances of passing a driving test. They have also worked with the driving schools to extend the working hours of driving instructors, taking into consideration each school's operational needs and instructors' preferences. Test delays Besides the months-long wait for practical lessons, students also have to wait for another one to two months before taking their Class 3 driving tests. According to TP's website, students who enrol at the schools have to wait for a month on average, while private candidates can expect a close to two-month wait. To address the long waiting time for practical tests, TP said they have increased the number of Class 3 practical test slots. According to TP's website, marginal improvements could be seen in the waiting times for school and private learners between December 2024 and February 2025. TP said they are also working closely with driving schools to increase test slots by optimising their utilisation of the circuit and the availability of testers. New driving school Earlier in May, the police announced plans to build a new multi-storey driving school in Choa Chu Kang to replace the existing BBDC, which is expected to make way for new housing projects. BBDC currently sits on a 30,000 sq m plot. If plans for the site are approved, this will be Singapore's second multi-storey driving school, after SSDC opened the first in Woodlands in 2010. While details about the new centre have not been released yet, demand for driving lessons remains high, even if the motivation to do so differs from person to person. For Ms Chen, when she eventually gets her licence, she hopes to be able to run errands and chauffeur her dogs around for their activities. "I can't be a passenger princess forever," she added.
